Ice cube forming and dispensing device



y 1932- A. GJSHERMAN ICE CUBE FORMING AND DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Jan. 16. 1930 A TTORNE Y.

. INVENTOR.

fl /1v (f /farm BY EEW/I /0 Patented May 3, 1932 A 1,857,122

UNITED STATES PATENTYOFFICE ALVIN G. SHERMAN, GROBSE POIN'IE, MICHIGAN ICE CUBE FOBMING AND DISI ENSING DEVICE Application filed January 16, 1930. Serial No. 421,184.

This invention relates to an ice cube formvious that the resent invention will vary ing and dispensing device, and has to do parwidely in accor ance with the particular inticularly with novel means, in combination stallation. In the drawings I have shown a with sharp freezing apparatus, for automasomewhat standard design of sharp freezing tically forming and delivering ice cubes. unit of the flooded or brine tank type. This 55 Ice cube trays adapted to be inserted in sharp freezing unit is indicated as at 1 and in heat conducting relation with lowsides of the form shown is provided with a central mechanical refrigerating systems have been opening 2. of several different types, and recently a The sharp freezing unit may be embodied cubes has been designed which embodies the net I preferably provide two members 4 and use of flexible non-metallic walls for per- 5 adapted to receive a continuous ice cube conmitting quick easy removal of the ice cubes. tamer member which may be designated 6. The present invention preferably embodies This we cube container is preferably formed the use of ice cube forming containers formed In a Closed path and is also preferably formed 6! of flexible non-metallic material and it is the of rubber or similar flexible material to which object of the present invention to utilize such ice does not readily adhere. flexible non-metallic containers in a novel he 196 c be container is preferably fabmanner whereby the ice cubes are formed rlcat'ed 111 the form Of a belt; that 18, it is and discharged without removing the conpr f rably provided with a belt member 7 tainer or containers from the sharp freezing a d a plurality of containers 8 which are cabinet. More specifically, the present inpreferably integral with the belt. These convention comprises forming and shaping tainers 8 are preferably formed in rows, as means adapted to move in a closed path and best ShOWIi in Fig. 3, and may be separated means for controlling the movement of said laterally as well as longitudinally. However, forming means in said closed path whereby 1n the preferred form, these rows of conto automatically discharge and form ice cubes tainers are only separated row from row as and to automatically fill the respective conshown in Fig. 1. tainers with the liquid to be frozen. In this The members 4 and 5 are preferably in 30 case the ice cube containers are preferably the form of suitable rollers, one forming the positioned closely adjacent the sharp freezing driving member and the other the driven unit during all points of their travel. member, and while the present invention is Other novel features reside in the details not concerned with the form of the driving and arrangement of the various parts as will means it will be obvious that these members be more clearly brought out in the specificamay be relatively adjustable. The member tion and claims. 4 preferably has formed thereon a series of In the drawings: projections or teeth 9, and these teeth are so Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of an ice arranged whereby one or more teeth will concube forming and dispensing device embodytact with the bottom wall of each container ing the features of the present invention. 8 as it is moved around in its endless path.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 The purpose of such teeth 9 is not only to of Fig. 1 and illustrating one manner of ejectassist in actuating the container member 6 ing the ice cubes from the containers. but also to assist in ejecting the formed ice Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 cubes from the individual containers or of Fig. 1. pockets.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of The shaft which carries the members 4 is the outlet and illustrating one means of conalso preferably provided with suitable trolling the individual discharge of ice cubes. ratchet teeth 10 adapted to be actuated by a Due to the many different types and desuitable pawl 11 which in turn is connected sharp freezing container for forming ice in any type of cabinet 3 and within this cabi- 60 signs of sharp freezing units, it will be 'obwith an actuating member 12 on the outside.

of the cabinet. The relationship between the pawl 11 and the ratchet teeth 10 is preferably such that the container belt is moved a distance to discharge a single cube at a time.

This is accomplishedby providing a shell member 13 which is arcuate in shape and which terminates in a series of stepped edges 14. For instance, if the belt is so arranged as to present four containers in each row as shown in Fig. 3, then the steps which separate the edges 14 are so divided that the width of all the steps equals approximately the width of one container or ice cube. The relationship between said pawl and ratchet is also such that the beltis moved each time only the distance 15 of one step. Of course, it will be obvious that any number of cubes may be dispensed simultaneously if desired, but in the ordinary domestic unit one cube at a time is desirable and hence the present showing.

The ratchet wheel 10 is preferably provided with pins 16 which are spacedin accordance with the number of container in each row of containers. A rod 17 is pivotally mounted at any desired poin say at 18, and the movement of this rod is designed to actuate a measuring valve 19, such valve being constructed to deliver a measured quantity of liquid upon actuation, and in the present case the valve should be of such size as to deliver enough liquid to fill a container 8. A plurality of tubes 20 are preferably provided for delivering the liquid into the separate containers and in this connection either a single or a multiple number of valves 19 may be used.

The pins 16 are preferably so arranged that the rod 17 will be actuated when the containers 8 approach a position substantiallv directly and centrally beneath the conduits 20. If the belt is movedby a step by step movement in accordance with the width of the steps 15 then it will be obvious that the pin 16 will be so positioned that a short movement of each container as it passes centrally below the conduit 20 will be effective to discharge the required amount of liquid into the container or containers.

As the actuating pin 16 is moved on past by further actuation of the member 12, then of course the valve 19 will be returned to normal position so that the required amount of liquid will flow thereinto in the correct measured quantity.

In operation, movement of the member 12 will actuate the container belt sufiiciently to move a cube of ice a distance so it will pass by one of the edges 14. Due to the fact that this cube of ice has been pressed outwardly by one of the projections 9, it will be obvious that it will be discharged into the dispensing chute as it moves past the edge 14. In this connection it will be noted that the shell member 14 is preferably formed of or faced with rubber or similar material to which ice does not readily adhere so that if the belt should stay in one position for any length of tilrnfi the cube of ice will not adhere to such s e 12 will, of course, advance the belt to cischarge a cube of ice each time it is actuated. As a'row of containers 8 approach a position centrally beneath the conduit 20, as best shown in Fig. 1, one of the pins 1 6 will contact with the end of the rod 17 whereby to actuate the measuring valve 19 and discharge a predetermined amount of li uid into each container or containers. As t e belt is advanced under continued use, the liquid in the containers will freeze as the container pass through the freezing zone.

It will be obvious that the supply of ice cubes is preferably unlimited, as not only may the belt be made much wider to accommodate a greater number of containers but it will also be obvious that the belt may be made much longer. I

The entire belt is preferably substantially surrounded by the cooling unit so that the pockets or containers are cooled after dispensing the ice cubes and up until the time the water is injected thereinto. This will rapidly promote the freezing action particularly as contrasted with the present use of ice trays whereby they are materially warmed when the ice is removed therefrom. It will understood that the details of the embodiment illustrated are more or less diagrammatic for the reason that any number of different arrangements could be designed for carrying out substantially the same results.

at I claim is:

1. Means for freezing and dispensing ice cubes, comprising a series of formed of a flexible material to which ice does not readily adhere and shaped to form the ice cubes, said containers being connected together to form a belt, sharp freezing means forming a freezing zone, said belt through said zone, and means for distorting the containers for removal of ice therefrom.

2. Sharp freezing apparatus, comprisin a cabinet, a sharp freezing unit within the ca inet, a plurality of flexible containers for receiving the substance to be frozen, means for moving said containers along a path adjacent said sharpfreezing unit, and means for distorting the containers to eject the frozen articles from the containers without removing the containers from the cabinet.

3. Sharp freezing apparatus, comprising a cooling unit, a plurality of containers connected together in the form of a belt, the bottom portion of said containers being flexible, means for moving the containers in a closed pathadjacent the cooling unit, and means for advancing and automatically ejecting the frozen articles from said containers.

Continued actuation of the plun er containers means for moving the frozen articles t erefrom, and means controlling the successive dispensing of articles from the containers in a single row.

6. Sharp freezing apparatus, comprising sharp freezing containers, the bottom of said containers being formed of flexible material, means for moving said containers adjacent said cooling unit and for flexing the bottom of said containers to assist in removing the frozen articles therefrom, and means for controlling the successive release of frozen articles from the containers.

7 Sharp freezing apparatus, comprisin sharp freezing containers, the bottom of sa-i containers being formed of flexible material,

means, for moving said containers adjacent said cooling unit and for flexing the bottom of said containers to assistin removing the frozen articles therefrom, means for controlling the successive release of frozen articles from the containers, and means controlled by said means for moving the containers for automatically filling the containers with the substance to be frozen.

8. Ice cube forming and dispensing appa-. ratus, comprising a cabinet, a cooling unit in the cabinet, a plurality of containers formed of flexible material, means operable from a point outside the cabinet for moving said containers in heat conducting relation with said cooling unit, and means actuated by movement of said operating means for automatically filling said containers and ejecting the ice cubes therefrom.

9. Ice cube forming and dispensing apparatus, comprising a cabinet, a cooling unit in the cabinet, a plurality of containers, means operable from a point outside the cabinet for moving said containers into heat conducting relation with said cooling unit, means for removing the ice cubes from the containers,

means for removing the frozen ice cubes from e the containers are pos1- the containers whi tioned within the cabinet, and means having a portion thereof operable from a point outside the cabinet for controlling the dispensingnof ice cubes from the cabinet.

testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ALVIN G. SHERMAN.

and means cooperating with the means operable from a point outside the cabinet for controlling the dispensing of ice cubes from the cabinet.

10. Ice cube forming and dispensing 32-. paratus, comprising a cabinet, a cooling umt in the cabinet, a plurality of containers, means for moving said containers in heat conducting relation with said cooling unit, means for successively filling the containers, 

